55. Is French Republicanism a Religion? 

Dearly Beloved, 

In a French village where we sometimes stay, there is a space by the road which has been graced by the name of La Place de la Laïcité. The nearest translation of la laïcité would be “secularism” but there is no equivalent in English of this peculiarly French idea. The mayor of the commune was very pleased to have a naming ceremony in which locals and other mayors were gathered. His village would henceforth have two squares, The other being La Place de L'Eglise (Church square) which was up the hill, below the mediaeval castle. 

The Mayor's father had been a socialist refugee from Franco's Spain. The Mayor's name was Germinal, both the month of spring and germination in the French revolutionary calendar but also the title of a famous novel by Émile Zola on industrial strife. Germinal is proud of the French tradition of separating religion from government, a celebration of Republicanism which started with the French revolution (1789-1799) when the French state cut its links with Catholicism and the Vatican, persecuted the clergy and decided it would henceforth ensure that religion be totally removed from the political space so that freedom of thought and reason might replace it. Today religion may not be taught in schools in France. 

The French President M. Macron, an admirable president in may ways, has become mired in the bog of la laïcité. That is because laws enacted in pursuit of la laïcité prohibits those working for the government from wearing clothes, jewelry or symbols associated with religion. That affects a large number of people because the civil service in France is huge; it includes school teachers, university staff as well as civil servants and a range of functionaries working in ministries and local government, staff at the post office and railway workers. That means Muslims cannot wear Islamic dress whilst at work for the French state. 

The underlying problem, it seems to me, is that those who thought up the idea in the late 18th century and re-enforced it with laws in 1905, failed to realise that la laïcité has some resemblance to religion itself. Although it does not involve the supernatural or belief in a God, it does resemble religion in the way it determines how people behave and conduct their everyday lives, including how people dress and present themselves. Furthermore both Republicanism and religion are pursued with enthusiasm by their adherents. France has suffered terrorism perpetrated by Islamic extremists and President Macron now finds himself in the difficult position of trying to defend the French, the French State and its institutions from extremism by promoting the concept of la laïcité in an attempt to make a clear distinction between religion and the state and promoting the latter as the ideal French identity. 

The consequence is that President Macron is being accused of attempting to suppress Islam by both those within and outwith the country and some French Muslims claim that laws associated with la laïcité are a backdoor to allow expression of prejudice against Muslims in a country that otherwise forbids racist forms of expression. This conflict unfortunately builds on the memories of the cruelties of the Algerian war and the unhealed divisions it created in French society. That has created a general feeling of gloom amongst the people of the French Republic. 

Perhaps, counter-intuitively, countries where Christianity is well integrated into the state seem better equipped to understand the importance of religious identity and give support to those pursuing other religions. Thus the British have not felt it necessary to impose sumptuary laws or produce cartoons mocking others of different religious dispositions. On the other hand, last week our government enacted laws restricting freedom of movement from other countries so we are not free of prejudices against “the other” and must be on our guard against such ideas causing division in our society too. 

Peace, 

Paul. 
Completed 19 November 2020.
A personification of the French Revolutionary Month Germinal with two ring necked doves.

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